2009 was quite a year for the project! Working with the children to write and record their own songs continues to be an amazing adventure. I am always inspired by the strength and depth of these beautiful children. Here are some of the ways that the project has been shared this year as more and more people recognize the importance of the arts in medicine and the significance of music in our lives.

January – a beautiful story by Monica Rhor of the Associated Press appears online and in print worldwide on New Year’s Day

February – a great story by Janet Shamlian airs on the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams

March – a visit to Japan begins plans for a Purple Songs Can Fly outreach there

April – a story about the project is published on the Grammy’s website – grammy.com

November – Mike Burg’s vision – Kaleidoscope – Skating, Song & Survivorship – airs nationwide on Thanksgiving Day. The children perform “Hope Is Always Here” with Olivia Newton John and David Foster as Dorothy Hamill skates to the song

December – a story about the project appears in Woman’s World Magazine

Over 150 songs have now been written and recorded. The songs continue to fly on Continental Airlines in-flight playlists, and have now flown on 2 space shuttle missions. As we look ahead to a new year of purple songwriting and recording, I’d like to thank all of you for your interest in and support of the project! Many thanks to Carol Herron, Dr. Poplack, Dr. Dreyer, Susan Krause, Carol Wittman and everyone at Texas Children’s Cancer Center!

As an international leader in pediatric cancer research and treatment, Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers are joint programs of Texas Children's Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine. The Centers are dedicated to providing novel therapies and family-centered care to children from infancy through young adulthood with cancer and blood disorders – from the most common to very rare. Texas Children’s Cancer Center is the pediatric program of BCM’s NCI-designated Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center.
Ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the #2 Center in the United States, Texas Children’s Cancer and Hematology Centers treats more childhood cancer and hematology patients than any other program in the U.S., with patients coming from 35 states and 26 countries around the world.